NHS England (NHSE) is funding independent prescribing courses for community pharmacists.

The courses will take place at 27 universities in England, with start dates ranging from September 2026 to March 2027.

NHS England said the courses will train pharmacists in “new models of care” as pharmacy services “expand within clinical pathways”.

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This will include offering clinical services “from diagnosis to prescribing, patient advice, and follow-up”.

The NHSE funded independent prescribing training places are open to other sectors pharmacists work in, so applicants need to check with their chosen university if it is offering the funded places for community pharmacists.

Applicants will also need to check when the university when it is open for applications and what its eligibility criteria is.

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NHSE is only funding the cost of the course fees from the approved universities, and said there are a “set number of places that have been commissioned” in each sector.

NHSE has been contacted for further details on how many places for community pharmacists are being funded.

There are universities offering the funded training places across the seven NHSE regions, including:

• Seven universities in the North West region with cohorts starting in September, November, January, February and March
• Three universities in the North East and Yorkshire region with cohorts starting in September and January
• Seven universities in the Midlands region with cohorts starting in September, , January, February and March
• Three universities in the East of England region with cohorts starting in September, October, November, January and February
• Three universities in the South East region with cohorts starting in September, January and February
• One university in the London region with cohorts starting in September and March
• Three universities in the South West region with cohorts starting in September, October, January and March

Those applying need to be working in England and have an “appropriate practice-based learning environment in a prescribing setting that can offer appropriate clinical support”.

Applicants also need to have a designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) organised before applying to the course so they can mentor and supervise during the course.

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DPPs are not funded to supervise those taking the independent prescribing courses.

Community pharmacists are eligible for funding through the Pharmacy Integration Programme (PhIP). Those working on part-time or fixed-term contracts are eligible.

Community pharmacists do not need a “defined prescribing role” or “access to a prescribing budget” to apply.

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“This training is to support workforce transformation, and capability to support potential future NHS clinical services in the community pharmacy sector,” NHSE said.

Locum pharmacists are also eligible for the courses, and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has removed the need to have two years of practice experience before starting the independent prescribing courses.

It now says applicants must “have relevant experience in a pharmacy setting and be able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills and attributes required by a prescriber”, and “identify an area of clinical or therapeutic practice on which to base their learning”.

PRPT

Meanwhile the Welsh government is funding a pre-registration pharmacy technician (PRPT) apprenticeship with a September start date.

It will be delivered by Health, Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) and those applying must employed within a pharmacy setting.

Pharmacies will need to give four hours a week of protected study time for the PRPTs throughout the apprenticeship, with contractors to be given a bursary to support this.

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PRPTs need an educational supervisor, either a pharmacist or pharmacy technician registered with the GPhC, at the pharmacy they’re working at to support them in their training.

The applications close May 31 and PRPTs will begin their apprenticeship on September 16.

It comes after funding opened for contractors to apply for with the community pharmacy technician apprenticeship programme (CPTAP).